Heat
by Belle3
Summary: After a particularly bad fight between Rory and Jess, something occurs at the diner and Jess is thought to be dead. When he later turns up he has amnesia... who will help him get his memory back?
1. Chapter One

**Heat  
**By Belle  
Pairing: R/J, maybe a little L/L later on  
Rating: PG for now.  
Summary: Set in season 3. Dean breaks up with Rory and she looks to console in Jess, who is dating Shane. Jess and Rory exchange harsh words, but Rory regrets them once she finds out that there was a fire at the diner, and Jess is nowhere to be found. CONTAINS SPOILERS!

[ Crap Shack; kitchen ]

Lorelai is holding up her arm. It is adorned with a pink glittered plastic bracelet.

  
Lorelai: I wonder how they get the glitter into this plastic bracelet! How does it stay in there so well? It doesn't come off, no matter how hard you rub!

Rory: A marvel of modern science, no doubt.

Lorelai: I know! With nail polish, they just pour it in and mix. But this is more intricate. It might even involve plastic molding!

Rory: You are filled with so much child-like wonder for so early in the morning.

Lorelai: Yeah, well. I made an Irish coffee when I woke up.

Rory: Maybe Luke can make you another one!

Lorelai: Yeah, right. If he thinks coffee is fatal to my health, think what he'd think about a shot of Bailey's.

Rory: I'm really glad you two aren't fighting anymore.

Lorelai: I'm irresistable to him, babe.

Rory: It's all in the hair flip.

Lorelai: But we're still having problems with the other diner boy, aren't we?

Rory: Mom, I don't want to talk about that right now.

Lorelai: I'm betting he won't give us free refills.

Rory: Mom! Just stop it. I'm with Dean. It's settled. It was dead and buried a long time ago.

Lorelai: Just tell me one thing... do you still have feelings for him?

Rory looks off, silently.

THEME SONG

[ at Luke's ]

Lorelai: Busy this morning. Luke could use a hostess.

Rory: It's chocolate chip pancake day.

Lorelai: I think I want potato pancakes!

Rory: Luke doesn't make potato pancakes. And you don't eat them.

Lorelai: I know but I was thinking that they might taste like tater tots.

Rory: They have onion in them.

Lorelai: Blech.

Rory: Oh! Taylor's leaving, we got a table!

Lorelai: Score!

Lorelai and Rory sit at a table. Luke approaches.

Luke: I'm assuming you two want the chocolate chip pancakes of death.

Lorelai: You assumed right, bat boy.

Rory: Assume some coffee with those pancakes.

Luke: Coming right up. Jess!

Jess approaches the table with a coffee pot in hand.

Jess: Good morning, ladies.

Lorelai: Jess. What a nice early morning... er, surprise.

Jess: Sorry I'm not jumping out of a cake.

Rory: Thanks for the coffee.

Jess: No problem. Don't forget to tip good.

Lorelai looks at Rory.

Lorelai: Since when are we paying customers?

Rory: We're just climbing the ladder of status.

Lorelai: So are you hanging out with Dean today?

Rory: Yeah, I have to meet him at his house in a little while. He paged me this morning.

Lorelai: Any big plans?

Rory: I'm not sure yet.

Lorelai: Damn. I thought we could go vintage shopping.

Rory: Since when do we shop vintage?

Lorelai: I was watching the Style Network, and vintage stores have all these cool clothes from the past!

Rory: Hence the vintage.

Lorelai: Well, I figured we could go and try on cool clothes. Chanel dresses from the seventies, Madonna-ish outfits from the eighties, Sophia Loren ensembles. It would be fun.

Rory: Sounds it. Maybe tomorrow?

Lorelai: Sure babe. Ooh, here come our pancakes!

[ Dean's house ]

Rory: Hey there!

Dean: Hi. We uh... need to talk.

Rory: That sounds bad.

Dean: Look. I'm gonna come right out and say it. I think we should break up.

Rory: What? Why?

Dean: Look, Ror. I have feelings for you. Strong ones. But you don't feel anything for me. You don't love me anymore and it shows. You tried your best, but it just didn't work out. You love Jess.

Rory: Love is a strong word.

Dean: I know.

Rory: I like Jess. I like Jess a lot.

Dean: I realized that a long time ago. And then I heard a few crazy rumors.

Rory: Like?

Dean: I heard you skipped school and went to New York to see him.

Rory: Oh.

Dean: Is it true?

Rory: Yes! But nothing happened! We just had lunch and went to a music store.

Dean: Rory! It's okay.

Rory: I'm so sorry.

Dean: I'm fine. Can you just answer me one question? Be honest.

Rory: Shoot.

Dean: Did you ever kiss Jess?

Rory: Yes.

Dean: May I ask when?

Rory: At Sookie's wedding.

Dean: I'm okay. I swear.

Rory: Did I mention how sorry I was?

Dean: Yes! It's fine, Rory. We can still be friends.

Rory: I guess.

Dean: I hope you're happy with Jess. I want you to be happy.

Rory: I will be if he ever breaks up with Shane.

Dean: Okay, well. I'll see you around.

Rory: Yeah. Bye.

[ at the book store ]

Rory: _(talking to herself)_ I need a good feminist text!

Jess: _(comes up behind her)_ Try this one.

Rory: Hm, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Any good?

Jess: Yeah. Once you get past the fact that her third husband's name is Tea Cake.

Rory: Right. Well, I guess I should go pay for this. Thanks.

Jess: You can't keep avoiding this, Rory.

Rory: Avoiding what?  


Jess: We need to talk about what happened at the wedding.

Rory: It's open and shut! I kissed you, you kissed me back and then you kissed Shane. I kissed Dean and we broke up. And now-

Jess: What, back up. You broke up with Dean?

Rory: Well, technically he broke up with me.

Jess: I'm surprised.

Rory: So was I.

Jess: You didn't want to break up with him?

Rory: No, I did! I did for a long time!

Jess: I see. But you never even called me after the kiss!

Rory: I was confused! Do you know how many unfinished letters I wrote to you? I have shoeboxes full!

Jess: You were always able to talk to me about everything.

Rory: Well, maybe I wasn't! Maybe I got scared and I ran away and didn't know what to do!

Jess: If I kissed you again, would you run away?

Rory: You have a girlfriend.

Jess: I have a distraction.

Rory: Listen, I don't know what you're talking about or what you're feeling. But when you figure it out, I'll talk. You know where I live.

Jess. I do.

Rory: Good-bye Jess.

Jess: Bye Rory.

**[ Later that night, Crap Shack ]**

Lorelai: Rory, sweetie, wake up. It's an emergency.

Rory: Mom, I have your pink glitter-y bracelet.

Lorelai: No, it's not that. There was a fire at Luke's.

Rory bolts up in bed.

Rory: What? When? Are Jess and Luke okay?

Lorelai: Luke is fine. The fire was in the apartment, and Luke was in the diner at the time so he was able to get out.

Rory: What about Jess?

Lorelai: Well, honey. There's no easy way to tell you this. They think he was in the apartment. No one has seen him since. And the apartment was completely burned up.

Rory: _(sobbing)_ Did they find his body?

Lorelai: That's the thing. There was no body. Luke wasn't even completely sure he had been in the apartment at the time of the fire. But he hasn't turned up.

Rory: Oh my God.

Lorelai: I'm so sorry, Rory.

Rory: I had a fight with him yesterday! Now he died hating me! I'll never see him again!

Lorelai: Sweetie, Jess would never hate you.

Rory: Did you see Luke?

Lorelai: Yes, he came over here. He seemed a little fazed.

Rory: I need to take a walk.

Lorelai: I understand.

Rory: I'll see you in a little while.

A/N: Yeah, it kinda sucked I'm working on it. Please R&R. I can take constructive criticism... to a point =)


	2. Chapter Two

Heat  
By Belle  
Pairing: R/J, maybe a little L/L later on  
Rating: PG for now.  
Summary: Set in season 3. Dean breaks up with Rory and she looks to console in Jess, who is dating Shane. Jess and Rory exchange harsh words, but Rory regrets them once she finds out that there was a fire at the diner, and Jess is nowhere to be found. CONTAINS SPOILERS!

[ bridge ]

Rory comes across a sleeping form on the bridge.

Rory: Oh my God! Jess!

Jess wakes up.

Jess: Where am I?

Rory: I thought you were dead! Oh my God!

Jess: Why would I be dead?

Rory: There was a fire at the diner!

Jess: Diner?

Rory: You know, Luke's... Jess, who am I?

Jess: I have no idea. Who's Jess?

Rory: What's the last thing you remember?

Jess: I was in some building, and I was smoking because I was upset. I was in the kitchen and the stove was on. There was a burst of flames and I blacked out. I woke up a little while later and the room was filled with smoke so I broke the window and climbed out. I don't know how I got here. Must have been instinct.

Rory: So you have recollection of the fire but you can't remember anything else.

Jess: No. Who are you?  


Rory: I'm Rory.

Jess: Oh. Are you my girlfriend or something?  
  
Rory: Not exactly.

Jess: So I'm Jess?

Rory: Yes, you are.

Jess: Can you tell me more about myself?  


Rory: Well, let's see. You're seventeen, going to be eighteen in a few weeks. You're from New York City originally, but you were getting into some trouble there so your mom sent you here to Stars Hollow to live with your uncle Luke. Y-

Jess: _(cuts in)_ Where's my dad?

Rory: _(softly)_ Your dad abandoned you and your mom a few years ago.

Jess: Oh.... Go on.

Rory: You love to read. You read everything. You also like to write notes in the margins of books. You love music as well. You have the most impressive CD collection I've ever seen. Besides Lane.

Jess: Lane?

Rory: She's my best friend.

Jess: Is she my girlfriend?

Rory: No, she's not. Jess... do you remember something about a girl?

Jess: I vaguely remember a girl... I think I loved her.

Rory: _(disappointed)_ You must mean Shane... she's your girlfriend.

Jess: Oh. What's your name again?

Rory: Rory.

Jess: Okay. Can I go home now?

Rory: Yeah, we should get you home. Everybody thinks your dead.

[ Luke's ]

Luke and Lorelai are sitting on a bench outside. The fire has been extinguished, and the diner can still remain open, but their is too much damage to the apartment.

Luke: I can't believe they didn't even find his body. He must have completely burned up.

Lorelai: Oh Luke, I'm so sorry.

Luke: I really did love that kid, Lorelai. He may have seemed like trouble to you, but he was a good kid.

Lorelai: I know he was. He just reminded me of Rory's dad.

Luke: What am I going to tell Liz?

Lorelai: Let's not worry about that right away.

Luke: How is Rory taking it?

Lorelai: I think she went into shock. She left the house in a daze. She thinks its her fault because she and Jess had a fight the other day.

Luke: She must feel so burdened.

Lorelai: She loved him, Luke.

Luke: I know she did. And he loved her.

Rory and Jess come up. Luke and Lorelai jump up.

Luke: Jess! Oh my God! You're alive?

Jess: _(looks at Rory) _Who's he?

Rory: That's your uncle Luke.

Lorelai: Rory, what happened?

Rory: I found him sleeping on the bridge. He's lost his memory, Mom.

Lorelai: Jess, who am I?

Jess: I hope you're my girlfriend!

Rory: That's my mom.

Jess: Oh. Sorry.

Lorelai: It's okay. I know I'm a hottie.

Luke: Alright. Jess, were you in the apartment when the fire started?

Jess: Yes.

Luke: Did you start the fire?

Jess: I was smoking because I was upset. I was in the kitchen and the stove was on. There was a burst of flames and I blacked out. I woke up a little while later and the room was filled with smoke so I broke the window and climbed out.

Luke: And that's the only thing in your memory?

Jess: Yes, it is.

Luke: Oh, we have a problem here.

Rory: Look at the bright side here. At least he's not dead.

Luke: That's true. Come here, Jess.

Luke pulls Jess into a hug.

Jess: Okay man, that's enough. I'm fine. Just confused.

Lorelai: He's obviously the same old Jess.

Rory: I think I'm going to do some research about amnesia.

Lorelai: Rory, hon. It's midnight. Let's go home. Luke and Jess can come stay at our house.

Luke: Well, the cops said that said that there's not enough damage to pose a threat to the diner, but you can't be too safe. I appreciate it, Lorelai..

[ Rory's bedroom; early the next morning ]

Rory wakes up to see Jess knealing next to her bed.

Rory: Jess, what are you doing in here?

Jess: I went to go find the kitchen and I wanted to see what was in this room. Obviously, it was you.

Rory: We first met in this room, you know.

Jess: I'm sorry, but I don't remember.

Rory: It's okay. Do you remember anything? Does anything seem familiar?

Jess: I remember the fire and I have vague memories of a girl.

Rory: _(sarcastically)_ Maybe I should take you to see Shane later. She could refresh your memory with one of your infamous make-out sessions.

Jess: Are you upset with me? What did I do?

Rory: You didn't do anything but kiss me back.

Jess: We kissed? When?

Rory: At my mom's best friend's wedding a few months ago.

Jess: I have feeling it's more than that.

Rory: Well, three days after the kiss I left for Washington D.C. I wrote you a thousand letters while I was gone, but I never had the gall to send any of them.

Jess: Why not?

Rory: Because I was embarrassed.

Jess: So what happened when you came home?

Rory: You had a girlfriend... Shane. I was so heartbroken, I didn't know what do. Eventually I broke up with my boyfriend.

Jess: You had a boyfriend while you kissed me?

Rory: Yes. Dean.

Jess: Damn, you must really like me.

Rory: I adore you, Jess Mariano.

Jess: Mariano's my last name?

Rory: Yes, it is.

Jess: Sounds like something you would put on spaghetti. So did we fight when you came back?

Rory: I avoided you for a while, but this is a small town. It's hard to stay away from anyone. I ran into you at the book store and we shared some harsh words... I regretted them so much. And then I thought you were dead... _(Rory starts to cry) _I went into shock at first. I couldn't even cry; I just couldn't believe I'd never seen you again.

Jess: _(gently)_ But I wasn't dead.

Rory: No, you weren't. But you're not _you_. You're a poor, confused little boy.

Jess: I'm so sorry, Rory.

Rory: It's not your fault. By the way, do you know why you were upset when you were smoking?

Jess: All I remember is that it had to do with this mysterious girl who keeps creeping into my memory.

Rory: That's it. I'm determined now.

Jess: Determined to do what?

Rory: I'm going to get you your memory back. No matter what it takes. I'm going to take you throughout the entire town so you can make some recollections. I won't lose you, Jess.

Jess: I appreciate that. When should we leave?

Rory: Now. Luke's at the diner so we'll go have breakfast first.

A/N: Please R&R! Thank you! And if you have time, check out some of my other stories!


	3. Chapter Three

**Heat  
**By Belle  
Pairing: R/J  
Rating: PG   
Summary: After a particularly bad fight between Rory and Jess, something occurs at the diner and Jess is thought to be dead. When he later turns up he has amnesia... who will help him get his memory back?

[ Luke's ]

Rory: Hi Luke.

Luke: Hey Rory. Hey Jess, how are you feeling?

Jess: I'm okay, uncle Luke.

Luke: Good, I'm glad. I figured I'd give you the day off.

Jess: Off of what?

Rory: You work at the diner.

Jess: Wowie.

Luke: _(mutters)_ Well, I see he didn't forget his sarcastic ways.

Rory: Okay, let's see. I'll have French toast. What do you want?

Jess: What do I usually eat?

Rory: Cheese and bacon omelette with orange juice.

Jess: Sounds good.

Rory: Okay. Luke, bring us our regulars!  


Luke: You got it.

Jess: So you're taking me on a tour of the town today?

Rory: Seems to be the plan.

Jess: Do you really think that it will bring my memory back?

Rory: Yes. I will do everything I can.

Jess: You must really love me.

Rory: _(startled) _What?

Jess: You must really love me.

Rory: You think I love you?

Jess: It's pretty obvious. I just hope that I'll remember that when my memory comes back.

Rory gapes at him, speechless.

[ outside of Doose's ]

Rory: I'm just going to warn you now. The owner of this store thinks you're a punk.

Jess: Why?

Rory: You stole some money from him, which you later returned. Oh and you drew a chalk outline of a dead body in front of the store.

Jess: Why the hell did I do that?

Rory: Beats me.

Jess: I sound like an idiot who is posing as a rebel.

Rory: You're not... you're spontaneous and intelligent and...

Jess: You love me?

Rory: You can stop that.

Jess:_ (taunts) _Rory loves me, Rory loves me!

Rory: Or maybe it's Jess that loves Rory.

Jess: _(smirks)_ Maybe it is.

[ bookstore ]

Jess: Hmm, The Fountainhead. Sounds like a real winner.

Rory: Yeah, it's not one of your favorites.

Jess: But let me guess, it is one of yours?

Rory: Yeah, did you remember that?

Jess: Nah, it just sounds chick-y.

Rory: Hey, maybe if you read some of your books with notes in the margins, it'll help your memory trip a little!

Jess: Can't hurt to try.

(Lane rushes in)

Lane: Rory! I heard about the diner and how Jess is dead! _(Looks at Jess) _Oh, I guess not.

Jess: Sorry to burst your bubble.

Rory: It took that long for the gossip to get to you? What, is Miss Patty on vacation?

Lane: Nah, I'm just grounded.

Rory: What did you do this time?

Lane: My mom found a picture of Eminem glued to my Latin notebook.

Rory: I told you to cover it with a picture of Jesus!

Lane: I know. I should probably sneak back in the house, I just thought you might need consoling.

Jess: I think your mother is the one who needs consoling.

Lane: Okay, well I'll see you guys later!

(Lane exits)

Rory: You know what, I just thought of somewhere special for us to go. There's lots of memories there.

Jess: Where?

Rory: _(smiles) _You'll see.


End file.
